The fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) was once a common inhabitant of the agricultural landscape around the Baltic Sea, but recent intensification and land consolidation in the arable fields have affected it severely. The sunny pools it vitally needed were filled in to make way for productive land, or else the fields they were in were abandoned so that the pools became overgrown and shaded. Natural protection for the toads´ hibernation during the wet and cold wintertime was cleared away, so these rather vulnerable creatures became easy prey for any predator.

While numbers of fire-bellied toads underwent a severe decline during the last decades overall, not all populations suffered to the same degree. Individual circumstances on-site gave no clear indication for the reasons for such different population trends. An earlier LIFE project, focusing on the Bombina bombina in Denmark, (LIFE99 NAT/DK/006454) made some progress towards solving these puzzles, but at the same time it exposed other weaknesses in toad management that needed to be addressed.

Objectives

To tackle this transnational problem in an appropriate way and to find best practice solutions, the German beneficiary assembled active toad conservation groups in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Latvia. A genetic analysis would be carried out of all relevant populations in the participating regions. The aim was to shed more light on the different populations and their behaviour. Its results would also be used to introduce genetically appropriate animals from captive breeding to rejuvenate certain selected wild populations.

On site, a range of habitat improvement actions would be carried out including new ponds and hibernation sites. Hardy breeds of animals (e.g. small herds of cattle and Konik horses) would be deployed to secure and maintain the unshaded pools in grassland habitats, favoured by the toads.

Another important aspect of the project would be international networking between the partners, through annual workshops around the Baltic Sea. This was expected to yield several outputs useful for anyone interested in amphibian conservation. The project´s planned use of the latest techniques of genetic analysis in order to advance nature conservation work, might also yield results worth disseminating.

Results

The project’s aim was to increase the population size of threatened populations of the fire-bellied toad of the Baltic region. The project site had been at the edge of the Northern distribution area of this species – an area where the fire-bellied toad has suffered particularly. In Sweden this species became extinct in the 1960s. In Latvia only two nature protection areas, each with less than 50 individuals remained. Also in Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) and in Denmark the number of spawning pools declined in the last decades drastically.

The project was very successful. Some 200 new ponds and 75 hibernation sites were created as new habitats for the fire-bellied toads. Additionally, year-long grazing with robust grazing animals was established. This is important for the long term maintenance of the right vegetation structures at the ponds and the creation of suitable habitats around the ponds.

As well as these concrete restoration measures, population management techniques were applied in order to support and maintain isolated population of toads in a limited time period. Through artificial breeding of toad spawn the loss of amphibian offspring that usually occurs in a natural situation can be prevented. These efforts were accompanied by intensive genetic analysis which helped to preserve endangered populations and their gene pool.

The ecological effects of the LIFE project were remarkable. The population sizes of the fire-bellied toads have more than doubled on the project sites. This shows that the project measures have been really effective. Moreover, through the establishment of year-round grazing schemes through robust cattle and horses the long-term sustainability of these effects is ensured. As a result, the various protection measures prevented the extinction of the fire-bellied toad in many project sites in Latvia, Germany and Denmark and stabilised and expanded the populations again.

Another important success of the project involved its extensive public relation measures including the development of a project website, several flyers, and various excursions. Notably, the project devised and successfully carried out in 2007 and 2009, an innovative “Bombina Song Contest”. This online (audio streaming) event attracted high media attention (including TV coverage) in several countries.

The Stiftung Naturschutz Schleswig-Holstein is a regional NGO-foundation focusing on nature conservation in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Its aim is to preserve biotopes and habitats. It also establishes recreation sites for nature tourism and is involved in research on large-scale grazing projects.